Family and Falafel

Today turned out to be a great day despite being over tired.  I was able to get a good solid nap in while Froggy Boots was taking her nap.  My husband's friend came over for a short while this afternoon and we were able to visit a little.  Then, Froggy Boots and I went to the grocery store to get everything we needed to make falafel with hummus. 

In the past I have done a quick pan fry in a small amount of 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then baked the falafel in the oven.  This time, however, I did almost a deep fry in 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a pot on the stove.  Wow, was it ever delicious!  And, since I used only Olive Oil it was healthy as well.  The only down side to using 100% Olive Oil is, of course, the cost.  But, I justify that by buying the Olive Oil at Costco which comes at a much more reasonable price.

I have tried the almost deep fry approach with falafel before using a mix of half Canola Oil and half Olive Oil.  But, honestly, it was not anywhere near as delicious as using only Olive Oil.  I actually was planning to do the half and half approach again this time, but forgot to pick up Canola Oil at the store. 

I guess I should explain what I mean by "almost" deep fry.  I consider deep frying to mean completely submerging something in oil to cook it -- usually in a deep fryer.  So, to "almost" deep fry something I fill a large pot with Olive Oil to a level about half the height of whatever I am going to cook.  Then I fry whatever it is I'm cooking on one side and then flip it over and cook the other side.  This is much more economical than doing a total deep fry in a deep fryer because you use significantly less oil in the process. 

I'll also point out that I do not even keep vegetable oil in my house because not only is it unhealthy, it also lacks the health benefits of Olive Oil or even Canola Oil for that matter.  I generally use Olive Oil for cooking and Canola Oil for baking in place of the vegetable oil called for in many recipes.  I think the health benefits significantly outway the higher cost.

While Froggy Boots and I were at the store, my husband was on his way to pick up my step-daughter to visit for the weekend.  It's been a long while since we've seen her, so it was especially nice to have her here again.  Froggy Boots was just beside herself with happiness because her sister came to visit and when it came time for bed, she didn't want me to read her stories, she wanted her sister to read to her instead! 

I'm so glad that despite the almost 16 year age difference and the short amount of time Froggy Boots has to spend with her sister that they still have a real sister bond between them!  I hope it will continue throughout their lives!